Slapper type detonators in general cause a "flying plate" to be propelled at a high velocity against a secondary explosive medium creating a shock wave which results in the detonation of the secondary explosive. In a typical design, there are two wide area conductive lands separated by a narrow rectangular bridge member. The lands are connected to a capacitor through a high voltage switch. When the switch closes, the capacitor provides current across the lands which vaporizes the bridge member turning it into a plasma. This plasma accelerates a portion of the dielectric material covering the bridge member to a high velocity, causing it to slap into an explosive. The resulting shock wave causes detonation of the explosive.
Conventional slappers have a rectangular bridge which results in rectangular flying plates, the center of which leads the edges in flight. It has been discovered by the inventor of the subject invention, however, that this rectangular shape results in adverse edge effects which render the detonator inefficient.